Dragonflies are amazing. They spend most of their lives as nymphs in the water before they crawl out, discard their exoskeletons, and become beautiful aerial acrobats. I photographed this probable Downy Emerald dragonfly (Cordulia aenea) last weekend at the Donau-Auen National Park in Vienna, Austria.
The object in the upper right in the first image is the discarded exoskeleton, often called an “exuvia,” and further down the vegetation is the dragonfly itself. The dragonfly appears to have recently emerged from that same exuvia. Note how much longer the dragonfly’s body has grown after emergence. The wings of the dragonfly are not yet fully extended, suggesting that it still is in the process of emergence. If you look closely at the exuvia, you may notice some white stringy looking parts. These are the breathing tubes are part of the respiratory system that helped the dragonfly breathe while still a water-dwelling nymph.
I was standing on a relatively steep incline and the reed-like vegetation was growing out of the water, so it was a challenge to get a good angle to photograph the dragonfly. The second image was taken from a different angle from the first (and I was happy that I was able to keep from sliding into the water).
I proceeded down the trail for a while before looping back and returning to the spot where I had seen the dragonfly. I think the dragonfly in the final image may be the same one as in the first two shots, though obviously the perch is not the same. After dragonflies have emerged, they generally have to wait some time for the wings to harden and for their metamorphosis to be complete.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Very nice capture, Mike!
Thanks, Chris. When I am traveling for business and have a limited amount of time to search for subjects, I never know if I will be able to find cool things to photography. This dragonfly was an unexpected and very pleasant surprise.
Very nice Mike! At my old house we had a pond, which I loved to photograph Dragonflies. When they first emerge they cannot fly or fly well and they almost have a crystalline look to their wings. It takes a while and is fun to see the progression. Thanks for sharing your images!
Such a miracle how they leave the exuvia so intact. I’m more familiar with the shed exoskeletons of cicadas where the old skin is also very intact. They’ve fascinated me since I was a kid!
Great photos, Mike. I’m guessing that if you were worried about falling in, you already had identified the soft spot to toss your camera.
Benjamin is totally captivated by the dragonfly and his “shell”. He examined every aspect of each enlarged photo with wonder and delight. “WOW, can he do that again? Ask Mr. Mike!” I told him that when I was a little girl I remember something we called Locusts, that shed their “shell” just like this and we used to collect them. “Gem, they are “exoskeltons”! Mr. Mike said so.” Everyday we look at the photos first and then I read the content, with some editing for him. He does listen and remember. Thank-you, Mr. Mike!!
Very cool, Mike! Great photos and explanation of this process. I’m glad your story didn’t end with you taking a bath.
Thanks, Ellen. When exploring in my local area, I have fallen in the water multiple times. Usually it has only been in ankle-deep water, but a couple of times I have been calf-deep water.
Hold the camera up!
Indeed. In all cases I have been holding my camera up and never even splashed a bit of water on my photo gear.